Pocket chronometer and pill container



Sept. 23, 1958 H. E. BARNETT POCKET CHRONOMETER AND PILL CONTAINER Filed Dec. 26, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

@fioy/v/cg Sept. 23, 1958 BARNETT 2,853,182

POCKET CHRONOMETER AND PILL CONTAINER Filed Dec. 26, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 -INVENTOR.

POCKET CHRONOMETER AND PILL CONTAINER Harry E. Barnett, Chicago, Ill. Application December 26, 1956, Serial No. 630,585

4 Claims. (Cl. 206-38) This invention relates to pocket chronometers and portable pill boxes or containers, and more particularly to a combination pill container and a pocket chronometer. Specifically, the invention is directed to either a pocket alarm watch or alarm timer, the case of which is so designed as to afford storage space for small objects such as pills, capsules, vitamins and the like.

It is well known that persons who require the periodical administration of medicinal preparations such as those in the form of pills, tablets or capsules, invariably experience difliculty in remembering to administer the dose at the proper prescribed time. This problem is especially prevalent among ambulatory patients who are not confined to the hospital or sick room, but are able to engage in everyday normal activities. Such persons often carry with them in containers such as, for example, pill boxes, their pills, etc., but because of the very fact that they experience numerous diversions due to their activities are wont to either entirely forget to take their pills at the proper time, or at best remember to do so after the prescribed time or interval between dosages has elapsed. Oftentimes, the therapeutic value of the dosages is seriously and adversely affected by failure to administer the dosage at the proper time.

Hence, to remedy this situation numerous devices have been introduced from time to time. Such devices, as embodied in pill containers having dials with time markings thereon and with indicators capable of being manually set to indicate the time when the next dosage is to be administered, have not proven to be very successful. Such means were incapable of solving the basic problem; i. e., reminding the person that the time for administering the medicine was at hand. As a matter of fact, oftentimes the anxiety produced by fear of missing the prescribed medicinal administering time had a marked adverse effect on the patient, especially patients suffering from maladies affected by anxiety such as ulcers or coronary illnesses.

Another problem often experienced by patients of the type described hereinabove was the ever present danger of overdosage by those who were forgetful of the fact that they had already taken the prescribed dosage. Oftentimes a superfluous dosage was inadvertently administered.

It is therefore an important object of this invention to provide a pill container having means incorporated therein to overcome all of the disadvantages mentioned hereinabove.

Another important object is to afford a combined chronometer and pill container having alarm means incorporated therein capable of being set to automatically remind the patient to administer the medicine at the proper prescribed time.

A further object is to provide a combination pocket and alarm watch having a case affording ample storage space for medicinal preparations in the form of pills, tablets, capsules, and the like. I

Still another object is to provide a chronometer in the form of a timer having an alarm which may be set to be nited States Patent Patented Sept. 23, 1958 actuated at the proper prescribed time dosage interval, and again having a case affording storage space for medicinal preparations of the character described.

Still a further object is to afford a portable pill receptacle with a chronometer incorporated therein, said receptacle so designed that it will not interfere with the winding of the chronometer actuating mechanism or with the means for setting the alarm; said operations capable of being performed without necessitating the opening of the case itself.

Yet another object is to afford a device of the character described which will have a tranquilizing effect on the patient by reducing the anxiety heretofore produced by fear of missing the prescribed time for administering the medication dosage. An object relating thereto is to afford a device which will have a beneficial therapeutic effect on patients suffering from illnesses'which are adversely affected by anxiety, as for example, ulcer and coronary patients.

Yet a further object is to afford a combination chronometer and pill receptacle having warning means capable of communicating the alarm to people who are incapable of receiving audible signals, as for example, patients who are deaf or hard of hearing, or patientsof normal hearing but situated in noisy surrounding conditions which might otherwise interfere with the communication of the audible signal. A related object is to afford a signal which may be communicated by means of vibration.

Another object is to provide a combination chronometer and pill case of the character described, of relatively simple, inexpensive construction, yet attractive, durable and effective.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of my invention, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings preferred embodiments thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following description, my invention, its mode of construction, assembly and operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

Referring to the drawings in which the same characters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding or similar parts throughout the several figures of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a combination pocket alarm watch and pill case constructed in accordance with the principles of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the same;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, sectional view taken on the plane of line 4-4 in Fig. 1 of the drawings and viewed in the direction indicated; 7 I

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a combination receptacle in its open position showing the interior of the same; and Fig. 6 is a top plan view of another embodiment showing a timer chronometer device instead of the pocket alarm watch illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Referring first to Figs. 1-4, inclusive, of the drawings, reference numeral 10 indicates generally a pill receptacle of substantially cylindrical shape as defined by an upstanding annular side wall 12 and a bottom wall 14 which may be integrally formed therewith. The side wall 12 is indented as at 16 for a purpose which will be disclosed as the description proceeds.

A top marginal edge of the annular side wall 12 is offset as at 18 to accommodate therein the bottom edge 20 of a cover member indicated generally by reference numeral 22. The cover member 22 comprises a vertically positioned wall portion 24, positioned to form an aligned extension of the annular side wall 12 and integrally formed with a horizontally positioned segment 26. The horizontal flange portion 26 encircles a central depressed or dished .3 segment 28 defined by a vertical segment 30 and a bottom wall 32. This structure defines a central cavity 34.

Directing attention now to Fig. 4 of the drawings, it will be noted that the cover 22 afi'ords not only a cover for the pill box 10, but moreover comprises the case of a chronometer indicated generally by reference numeral 36 positioned within the central cavity 34. In the embodiment presently being described, the chronometer comprises a pocket alarm watch having its works mechanism 38 positioned within the cavity 34. An annular bezel member 40 is fitted around the marginal edges of the cavity 34, and is adapted to have a portion 42 thereof bear against the top of the works mechanism 38, thereby retaining the watch 36 in'tight-fitting, secure relationship within the cavity 34.

The watch 36 is provided with the usual dial 44, and hands such as 46, and additionally is provided with an alarm setting indicator hand 48. The dial face may be protected by a lens 50 of the usual watch type.

The watch is provided with a winding stem 52, having a knurled head 53 mounted on the outer end thereof, and an alarm actuating stem 54. These stems 52 and 54 protrude outwardly from the side of the watch and overhang the indented side wall portions 16. Thus, it will be readily perceived that the watch may be wound or the alarm indicator set conveniently without necessitating the opening of the pill box or the use of special tools therefor.

The entire combination watch and cover mechanism may be hingedly affixed to the-top of the annular case wall 12 by means of a hinge 56. It should be further noted, especially in Fig. 3 of the drawings, that the winding stem 52 protrudes through a complementary-shaped passage 58 formed in the portion of the lid adjacent the indented side wall portion 16.

A cover lip 60 may be formed on a portion of cover wall segment 24 positioned diametrically opposite to the hinge 56. This enables ready lifting of the cover to open the receptacle. As noted in Figs. 4 and of the drawings, there is provided a large pill storage compartment 62 as defined by the annular side wall 12, bottom wall 14, and the cover 22. Within this storage compartment 62 may be positioned the pills P or any similar objects including food supplements, such as vitamins, or food substitutes such as saccharin.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings, there is illustrated another embodiment of the invention, in which a different type of chronometer is incorporated. In this embodiment, similar parts are identified by like numerals with the added sufiix a.

In this embodiment, it will be noted that the structure of the pill receptacle portions of the invention is substantially identical with the previously described embodiment. However, the chronometer in this case instead of being a pocket alarm clock is a timer device 70. This timer device may be of the usual ordinary construction, and may be provided with a time alarm indicator 72, controlled by an alarm-setting stem 74 with a knurled head 76 aflixed to the outer end thereof.

In operation, this embodiment differs only from the other embodiment in that the user is unable to determine the time of the day chronologically. However, he is able to set the alarm indicator 72 after each administration of the dose for that time interval which has been prescribed. Thus, for example, if the time indicator is set to the numeral 3, as illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings, the alarm will not sound until the indicator 72 has re- 4 turned to the zero point or passed through a time interval of, for example, 3 hours. Obviously, the first described embodiment, i. e., the alarm watch, may be used in the ordinary and usual manner with the alarm indicator 48 being set after each dose administration to the time when the next dose is to be administered.

From the foregoing description and drawings, it should be apparent that I have provided a novel combination chronometer and pill receptacle in which a portion of the case of the chronometer comprises a storage compartment for pills, with the chronometer being positioned in the lid of the receptacle. Conversely the pill storage compartment may be incorporated in the chronometer case.

It is believed that my invention, its mode of construction and assembly, and many of its advantages should be readily understood from the foregoing without further description, and it should also be manifest that while preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described for illustrative purposes, the structural details are nevertheless capable of wide variation within the purview of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a portable medication container comprising a pill-filled box defined by integrally formed side walls and a bottom wall, a cover hingedly mounted to close said pill box, said cover comprising side walls complementaryshaped to said pill box side walls and aligned therewith, a top horizontal integrally-formed flange terminating in a dished segment defining a central cavity, a .chronometer positioned in said cavity, a bezel member fitted over the marginal edges of said cavity and adapted to retain the chronometer therein, said chronometer having alarm means capable of communicating a signal reminder for administering the pills in said box, and alarm pro-setting means associated with said chronometer, said alarm presetting means protruding from the side wall of said cover in readily accessible relationship.

2. The portable medication container of claim 1 in which said side wall is substantially annular, a portion of said side wall being indented, a winding stem and an alarm setting stern protruding from the side of said chronometer over the indented portion of said side wall, said winding stem and alarm-setting stem positioned in readily accessible relationship to said side wall.

3. The portable medication container of claim 1 in which said chronometer comprises a pocket alarm clock having a works mechanism adapted to fit in said cavity and having a dial face, minute and hour hands, an alarm indicator and a covering lens set over said dial face.

4. The portable medication container of claim 1 in which said chronometer comprises a timer device having an alarm signal capable of being set to go olf after the elapse of any pre-selected time interval.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,788,093 Fishel Ian. 6, 1931 2,554,402 Ditisheim May 22, 1951 2,618,956 Hanna Nov. 25, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 147,607 Switzerland Sept. 16, 1931 364,385 Great Britain Jan. 7, 1932 1,100,472 France Apr. 6, 1955 

